Leap of Faith - How It Should Have Ended, Before It Even Started
by The Shroud
Summary: A one-shot that tries to predict Leap of Faith, and makes fun of some cliches that are to be expected.
1. Prediction

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Arrow, Season 8**

**Episode 3, Leap Of Faith:**

**How It "Should Have" Ended,**

**Before It Even Started**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. Nothing to say here, I'm in a rush to release this before the actual episode. Well, two things: I'll give excuses and explanations in the next thing I release (a rewrite of S8, likely), and this is meant to predict some of the general extent of S8E3, to mock their writing style for being rather predictable (yeah sure, there's also some random B plot of melodrrama and awful flashforwards and maybe some random things thrown in for the heck of it, but this should mimic what we end up seeing soon close enough to at least moderately embarass them). And I hope no one takes the sarcastic comments within too seriously.

And I also apologize for not fleshing out several scenes, but I'm short on time.

* * *

**ARROW RECAP! ARROW "LOOK AT THIS THING FROM THOSE FLASHFORWARDS YOU HATE"!**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

As the three walked around the abandoned fortress, Oliver picked up a skull-shaped helmet lying on the ground, and blew the dust away... only for it to rebound against the inside of the helmet and go into his eyes. "Ow!"

Blinking several times to get it out of his eyes, Oliver heard Diggle quip, "Probably not the smartest thing to do."

Laurel added, "Though you did the very same thing three times already, Dig."

Diggle changed the subject. "Obviously, this place hasn't aged too well."

Oliver agreed. "Yeah, you could say that. So, Laurel, how have you been holding up, which I'm apparently only just asking now?"

Laurel responded casually, though not without a bit of sarcasm. "Oh, just fine. I have most likely either completely forgotten about my recent mental breakdown and all that grief or I will constantly sob and snark about it as if I was a one-dimensional character you'd dread but expect to see on melodrama networks like the CW... which I am obviously not."

Oliver smiled! "Okay then, I'm going to pretend I have no understanding of what you just said and will thereby create fake melodrama!"

Diggle interrupted, "Oh, that's nice, but I'm going to go check up with Lyla about the scientist we kidnapped- I mean, saved- from Hong Kong."

"You do that, John."

Diggle called Lyla, opening with, "Hi, honey, just wanted to make sure that scientist was okay."

Lyla lied cheerfully, "Oh yeah, he's fine, I definitely have not been written out of chaacter and just handed him off to the Monitor on complete blind faith. And yeah, I'm going to go ahead and lie, again, unlike how I usually act, and say that I still have him."

"Ok, honey, stay safe."

* * *

**FFD**

**SOMETHING STUPID THAT NO ONE REALLY WANTED**

**FFD**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Oliver was walking with a torch in his hand down a totally not ominous hallway... when the floor beneath him broke, and he fell a story.

Seeing this, Laurel and Diggle similarly jumped in after him, not trying to stay up there to try and pull him up.

Oliver , groaning, stood up slowly, and remarked, "How come I'm being hit with all these accidents?!"

Laurel suggested, "Perhaps because you're the main character in a parody of all sorts of tropes, and so you accidentally end up getting all the problems?"

Diggle added, "That makes sense. I certainly don't mind."

Oliver muttered under his breath, "Of course you don't. What great friends. With them, I don't need enemies... and yet there enemies are."

Sixteen people dressed in League-like armor had surrounded them the moment they fell down. The three held their hands up, not wanting to get shot-

And from a random direction, two archers sprung up, and began shooting arrows, taking down five people in the first second.

One of them looked towards Oliver, and he recognized her. "Thea?"

She responded, eagerly, "Less talking, more fighting!"

As the three joined the fight, the contingent of attackers fell swiftly. The other archer looked towards Oliver as well, and pulled down her veil. "Hello, Oliver. It's good to see you again."

Oliver asked, "Why..."

As Thea looked toward her companion, she brushed the question off. "It's a long story. We have to get moving. Now!"

And a smile appeared on the other woman's face... specifically, that of Talia al Ghul.

* * *

**ARROW LOGO! ARROW THEME! ARROW AD!**** ARROW INTERRUPTION DONE!**** ARROW TIME AGAIN!**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat Secret Base_

Oliver asked, "So Talia joined you, Nyssa, and Roy after that Thanatos Guild attacked her for being the child of a previous Ra's they considered lesser than Ra's al Ghul."

Roy answered for Thea, "Yes."

Thea continued, "We've managed to destroy two of the three Lazarus Pits, and the last one is near here."

Nyssa interrupted, "The Thanatos Guild has such and such characteristics."

Talia added, "We'll have to take certain precautions as a result. Allow me to explain..."

* * *

**FFD**

**IDIOT FLASHFORWARDS AND MELODRAMATIC CONVERSATIONS!**

**FFD**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

They were talking and talking and _talking_\- until Athena and a bunch of attackers burst in, having followed them _somehow_.

Athena opened, "Blah blah, I am now giving a big speech."

Oliver interrupted, "Let's not. We're not going to let you stand in our way."

She smiled. "Good luck."

* * *

**ARROW LOGO, ARROW THEME, ARROW AD... _TENSION_?!**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Having escaped Athena, they had a long and annoying argument about Talia actually being evil, which she is, but people believe her when she says otherwise. This would not be enjoyable to type out.

**SKIP! Ding!**

* * *

**FFD**

**SOMETHING STUPID THAT NO ONE REALLY WANTED**

**FFD**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Nyssa reported, "We've managed to amass many of the ex-League members."

Athena and friends burst in... again. One of those they recruited had betrayed them, in an ever so shocking twist of events. This time, they were completely surrounded.

* * *

**ARROW-LY THREATENING! ARROW LOGO! ARROW THEME! ARROW-LY ANNOYING AD!**

* * *

_Early Novem__ber, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Oliver continued with his speech, "I know Malcolm Merlyn was an exceptionally manipulative individual. I know you all felt betrayed when I handed over the title to him, who abused the power, and then to Nyssa, who disbanded the League. That is why I am now taking my true place as the legitimate Ra's al Ghul!"

Apparently, there was the same magic in this speech as the one he gave to Toomy, as one by one they literally turned on Athena, who fled.

* * *

**FFD**

**SOMETHING RANDOM THAT WAS NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, SO, PHIL, JOE, KAREN, YOU'RE FIRED!**

**FFD**

* * *

_Early Novem__ber, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

They had just received a mission from the Monitor to get some sweet sweet Lazarus Pit water before destroying it, so they... argue about it!? Forget it, I'm out of trying to write any of THAT drivel.

* * *

**ARROW "ACTUALLY, I'M BORED AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT FOR THIS ONE"!**

* * *

_Early Novem__ber, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

And eventually, go they did... only for Athena to inyerrupt again, with a group of Loyalists!

* * *

**FFD**

**NOW FFD AGAIN**

* * *

_Early November, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

ACTION!

Ends with Oliver and friends winning the fight.

* * *

**BUH-BUH BU-BUH-BUH! DRAMATIC SOUNDS! AND... ADS?!**

* * *

_Early November, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Thea, Roy, and Nyssa had been badly hurt, and now Oliver was talking with Thea, who was resting on a medical cot.

"I thank you, Roy and Nyssa for helping me. However, once again, I've caused difficulty for all of you, so I'm going to leave you now."

"That somehow becomes an excuse for us being left out? You really didn't think to save some extra Lazarus water? Anyway, I can get out of here and help, even if I have to shoot arrows from a wheelchair! So can Roy and Nyss-"

"Nope, Monitor said I can't! Bye!"

"Wa-wait! Ollie!"

* * *

**FFD**

**INCOHERENT YELLING! BROUGHT TO YOU BY The CW.**

**FFD**

* * *

_Early November, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

There was a smirk.

Talia was smirking.

She was smirking still.

Smirking for the past few minutes.

The Monitor appeared suddenly, and asked, "Why are you smirking for so long?"

Talia replied, "To show something DANGEROUS is going on. I mean, I have to follow the format we have established in the past two episodes _exactly_."

"Why not exemplify?"

"Well, the author is not omniscient of everything the writers may have come up with this time. However, it could involve-"

Guggenheim ran in. "Cut! Cut! **CUT!**"

* * *

**ARROW LOGO! ARROW THEME! ARROW CREDITS! ARROW EPISODE DONE!**

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this one-shot!


	2. Outtakes

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Arrow, Season 8**

**Episode 3, Leap Of Faith:**

**How It "Should Have" Ended,**

**Before It Even Started**

**OUTTAKES**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. This is the second chapter, the purpose of which is to contrast my prediction with the result, and make fun of the cliches that I had not predicted.

* * *

**AS PREDICTED, RECAPS "FROM THOSE FLASHFORWARDS YOU HATE"!**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat Straight From The Beginning, No Transition, **As Expected**_

Oliver was walking (wistfully or something dramatic of course), with his hood on for no particularly good reason, before stopping at a campfire, sitting down and laying down his bow. Laurel and Diggle had evidently disappeared because the writers decided they got in the way.

Thea was behind him, a little earlier than one might expect (but no one's complaining), about to shoot, before actually acting like herself and forgoing the dramatic fight entering of the two one-episode allies before her. She crept around the camp site to in front of him (while being 'hidden' behind a tree or bush), and saw under the hood that it was Oliver (since **now** in the eighth season people can see under the hood)- come to think of it, that would explain why someone with the same dramatic movements as Oliver was using a suit and hood and arrows and _exact damn bow_ as him. Huh.

She slowly walked out, and Oliver looked up. "It's good to see you, Thea. Thanks for not sneaking up on me or firing a potentially lethal arrow at me (even if I could have caught it) and causing a pointless fight that wastes our time."

Thea nervously chuckled. "Yeah, right? Imagine how silly _that_ would have been."

Moments later, Thea had confirmed that the plot thread of the Lazarus Pits had in fact been completely wasted, either in favor of another fetch quest from the Monitor or some random new or old thing.

Thea continued, "And yeah, the writers are either saving Nyssa for later or throwing her away like she's not one of the better characters on the show. OH, and I have to make an excuse for still being written out of S7... yeah, I'm on a revenge quest in Roy's name even though he's fine."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, that's _fair_, by which I mean I'll be utterly OOC with that issue, which has nothing to do with fair."

After a moment of silence (with crickets of course), he started, "By the way, there's this super-shifty guy, Mar Novu, who's keeping secrets and I'm wondering if I should-"

She finished, "-trust him. I'm now going to make a baseless and insulting comparison to you. Which is really because writing wise I'm forced to play Devil's Advocate against Tatsu."

Later, Oliver was speaking, "I'm ditching the possible League re-formation plot in favor of a fetch quest of knowledge from Nyssa. Also, I'm in peril of death again, but I'm going to pretend it's somehow fundamentally different story-wise-"

Thea completed the sentence again, "-from all the completely similar times you were in danger. Which it might be since this is the last season, but in-universe, we have naught but the word of a lying, backstabbing, clearly manipulative cosmic being... so yeah."

"As I was saying, if Nyssa's not here, that's kind of a problem. Sara was not able to help either (somehow, despite all the evidence to the contrary), which by the way I've done but the writers prefer filling space with flashforwards over meaningful meetings of good friends who had in an OOC way _**just kind of FORGOT**_ about each other."

"In a completely off-topic way, I'm now going to make a joke about how we have kind of killed off every League member, although we're still saying we're against killing and the fact that there is so much evidence against that and that there are most certainly far more League assassins laying around, kicking their feet back and getting a massage since the League was destroyed- if you don't disagree, Ollie."

"Nah, I'm going to pretend that somehow makes sense and laugh awkwardly. Hah, hah. BUT THERE'S SOMEHOW EXACTLY **ONE** MORE! Another, there is!"

* * *

**FFD**

**SOMETHING STUPID, THAT NO ONE REALLY WANTED, FROM THE FLASHFORWARDS**

**FFD**

* * *

_Not Quite Halloween, 2019_

_Some ARGUS Place_

Diggle asked, "Okay, Lyla, what's going on here, which for whatever reason you couldn't tell me over our secure phones?"

"Well, the writers needed to make up a subplot for why you're not in Nanda Parbat, so they're merging that with the one they already planned of you adopting Turner's son."

"Aw man, now they're going to have Connor's dad and mom be killed? That isn't right."

"Yep. Connor and his mom are missing."

"Well crap. How are we going to get them back?"

"Let me make a few bogus connections, and now I'm going to say this philanthropist WAY over here in good ol' Kasnia is DEFINITELY connected to THESE local terrorists from a few rumors, and so therefore he MUST be being an idiot and keeping them hostage for no good reason right in an OBVIOUS place where he has a fundraiser thingy and not some private prison that would make WAY more sense to put them in (But clearly that's just a theory, a SUBPLOT theory)."

"Okay, let's use those shreds of evidence as though they meant anything! Wait wait wait! Why me, and not anybody else, like a full recon team?"

"Uh, um, uh, um, uh... CORRUPTION (AN ACTUALLY POTENTIALLY INTERESTING PLOTLINE THAT WILL BE SWATTED ASIDE LIKE A FLY)! Ever since Waller (who'd never let that stuff happen) died, I've been so lax in security that I don't know who to trust, and obviously because these people MIGHT be corrupted, they're DEFINITELY working for THIS EXACT guy. So I need you, John (cue that Amanda-Waller-esque-smirk smirk)."

"All right, time to treat this like a date! After all, it does end with me getting a son [forgive me for this one, dear readers]."

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Thea and Oliver were walking through Nanda Parbat to see the other person, who they must not refer to by name. For tension.

She opened, "Well, this is creepy. So, I've (somehow) heard you and She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named are kind of friends now?"

He angrily replied, "Sh! You'll give away it's exactly the person that was predicted in the previous chapter! She has to make a surprising entrance in a fight scene! Wait, but we need enemies... oh, there they are!"

A bunch of foes popped up stealthily from behind cover, which would almost be cool if it didn't give PTSD flashbacks of the meh-ness of season three. A fight scene commenced... but it wasn't too great... Thea did some stuff, Oliver kinda did a bit but then was just punching an unconscious dude weirdly because he couldn't be seen doing anything too lethal or brutal... but something neat happened!

Talia popped up, and called her students off. Cue dramatic hood-removal. For the third damn time in a hell-forsaken row.

* * *

**ARROW LOGO! ARROW THEME! ARROW AD! ARROW INTERRUPTION DONE! ARROW TIME AGAIN!**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Mandatory Secret Base (Just this time, it so happens to be the palce where they were fighting, so at least no goofy "we must go to my lair to... _talk_"_)

They talked. About stuff. Like for the previous two episodes. *yawn*

* * *

**FFD**

**MELODRAMATIC CONVERSATIONS**** AND ****IDIOT FLASHFORWARDS****!**

**FFD**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat, Karan Shah_

They're there! But it's been looted!

Oh wait, the thieves didn't care about these chronicles! But it's in Arabic!

Oh wait, Speedy can read Arabic... which wasn't really necessary and made little sense... again, being particularly disappointed with the lack of acknowledgement of Malcolm thus far... but it's a weird riddle!

Oh wait, Oliver can figure out the meaning of it... though he should already have learned about this during training as the heir... which would have made this pointless. He then SOMEHOW knows he has to burn the scroll... which gives a weird metal thing SOMEHOW... but this leads to another scavenger hunt/ fetch quest!

Oh wait, we're almost at the second ad already, so we need another fight scene, this time with the big bad! Athena! You there?! Good. Three... two... one... ACTION!

Athena makes some stuff up about them being outsiders (an ex-Resh and the daughter of Malcolm Merlyn, who used to be RA'S AL GHUL). The action is incoherent, like much of season three... such awful memories. Their attackers kind of just fall to the ground easily, a few stragglers are taken out rather simply, smoke bomb (duh), and they escape, just like is mandatory to follow the format of the previous two episodes.

* * *

**ARROW LOGO, ARROW THEME, ARROW AD... ****_TENSION_****?!**

* * *

_Late October, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Having escaped Athena, they had a long and annoying argument about Talia actually being evil, which she is, but people believe her when she says otherwise. As the author, I didn't even need to change this part, all I have to do is add some things. As I said before, this would not be enjoyable to type out.

**SKIP! Ding!**

**Also, new fetch quest for the sword of the first Ra's that would have been cool to know about before but is now just a side note! Ding!**

**Also also, sudden perfect memory! Ding!**

**"I 'got' you attacked by the person you had already declared war on and now I must evolve into Overprotective Ollie, a worse fiend than Monster Oliver!" cliche. Ding.**

* * *

**FFD**

**SOMETHING STUPID THAT NO ONE REALLY WANTED, INVOLVING DIGGLES NOW AND IN THE FUTURE... AND BAD ARGUMENTS!**

**FFD**

* * *

_Halloween, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Talia gives good advice Oliver disagrees with... for no good reason. On the plus side, Malcolm is mentioned in passing.

They trigger an imitation of an Indiana Jones trap, Talia somehow knows the Phoenix "is triggering it" (even though his FOOT clearly did so) and firing an arrow somehow stops it. This leads to another map, another key...

She then betrayed him, in an ever so shocking twist of events. Of course the 'debt' means nothing to her. Of course she can't be trusted. Of course, Oliver!

* * *

**ARROW-LY SCARY! ARROW-LY ANNOYING-LY OBVIOUS! (cue Billie Eyelash 'duh') DING!**

* * *

_All Saints Day, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Arguments... but on the plus side, it's not as bad as the ones in the previous episodes! Or in the flashforwards...

* * *

**FFD**

**SOMETHING DUMB IN THE FLASHFORWARDS THAT WAS NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, SO, PHIL, JOE, KAREN, YOU'RE FIRED!**

**Threatened casual murder of a sibling by the daughter of the protagonist. Ding!**

**Even more casual non-use of a grappling arrow, and casual conversation while running against time cliche. Ding, ding.**

**Messed up parent cliche, surprisingly convincing speech cliche, overprotective cliche. Ding... ding... ding.**

**FFD**

* * *

_Early November, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

They made it... only to be faced with an imminent battle right before the fourth ad just like both previous episodes... and Talia's been casually captured rather than killed (sacrificial lambs is bogus)... and also all too easily...

**Casual rip-off of Indiana Jones. Ding!**

* * *

**ARROW "ACTUALLY, I'M BORED AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT FOR THIS ONE"!**

* * *

_Still All Saints Day, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Filler puzzles...

Talia smartly triggers a wrong step (yep, just like Indiana Jones) and kills the two next to them. Seeing Oliver pick up his weapons (of COURSE the two with them had their weapons), Athena idiotically comes down instead of raining fire with arrows, which she should have in her... _arsenal_.

* * *

**FFD**

**NOW FFD AGAIN**

* * *

_Early November, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

ACTION!

Talia betrays them again, and forgets Thea was trained not by her brother but her father. Again, Oliver's portion feels lacking... but Thea had a nice duel with Talia. Especially the ending, using her surroundings! Two sins off! Still not enough to save this episode.

* * *

**BUH-BUH BU-BUH-BUH! DRAMATIC SOUNDS! AND... ADS?!**

* * *

_Again, still All Saints Day, 2019_

_Nanda Parbat_

Thea and Ollie have a talk, of course. They easily confirm that the Monitor is in fact the Anti-Monitor based on random speculation and the fact they don't know there was supposed to be a second Monitor. Talia just kind of gives up, like she didn't create Prometheus. There's a rather flat conversation about fate and free will (obviously free will is not the right choice, how else would Adrian be five steps ahead if anyone was TRULY independent (and imagine the horror if our actions really were random!)? But I digress...), which just kind of stalls and falls. Thea casually forgives Talia... and the Justice League begins! But there is one virtue of the scene... CW finally writes feminism kind of well. Kind of.

Meanwhile, the answer to Sandra's problem is apparently a new phone with slightly better encryption and a trip to Hong Kong that no one will expect. Wait... waht?

Laurel is never explained, just... missing, barely mentioned. Thea has a nice hug with Oliver...

**AND THEN THE FLASHFORWARDS ARE HERE TO RUIN YOUR DAY, WITH ZOE'S CASUAL DEATH!**

**AND THE FACT IS, THEY'RE COMING TO RUIN THE FUTURE AND PRESENT!**

**(Which is, actually, the most threatening thing they've come up with yet, but not in a good way...)**

**Sentence: Watching Flashforwards for Eternity**

* * *

**ARROW LOGO! ARROW THEME! ARROW CREDITS! ARROW EPISODE DONE!**

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this second chapter of this "one-shot"! This part was a bit too much of a review/synopsis of the episode, but still, I hope, enjoyable.


End file.
